Avengers: Secret Wars is believed to feature the most extensive roster of heroes and villains of any Marvel Studios movie yet, and it looks like we can now add a somewhat surprising character to the mix.
According to MTTSH, Jon Bernthal will return as Frank Castle/The Punisher alongside Spider-Man: Brand New Day cast-mates Tom Holland (Peter Parker), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/The Hulk), and Sadie Sink.
The Punisher made a pretty seamless transition to the big screen in Brand New Day, although Bernthal was playing a slightly less ruthless and disturbed take on the ultra-violent vigilante (more here). We got to see a softer side of Frank, who genuinely seems to care about Spidey.
Bernthal and Holland's chemistry was off the charts in BND, so Marvel would be smart to allow them to share at last a couple of scenes in Secret Wars.
While speaking to Collider following Marvel Studios' SDCC panel, the Russo Brothers confirmed that they are currently juggling putting the finishing touches on Doomsday while continuing pre-production on Secret Wars, which is set to begin filming very soon.
"We're deep into finishing the movie, into finishing Doomsday," said Anthony. "All of the grace notes, the music, working with Alan Silvestri, sound mix, creating Alan's incredible original music. Wait until you experience what he's cooked up for Doom. That, and then we're prepping. We're prepping Secret Wars. So, it's a complicated time in our lives, but thrilling."
When asked if he wanted to reveal exactly when cameras roll on Secret Wars, Russo said: "Soon. So soon it makes us sweat a little bit."
As soon as next month?
During a recent interview with the Dog Day Afternoon social media team, The Fantastic Four: First Steps star Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing) was asked why he decided to commit to the Broadway adaptation, which runs until mid-July, when he has Avengers: Secret Wars shooting in August.
"This play I've been working on for a couple of years, it's been really important for me to do this," he said of the timing. "Then everything kind of worked out."
Between this and the Russo Brothers' update, there's speculation that Secret Wars could wind up getting pushed back from its current December 17, 2027 release date, which does seem like a distinct possibility.
Doomsday filmed from April until September 2025, with reshoots taking place earlier this year. The movie is set to hit theatres this December. Assuming Secret Wars follows a similar shooting schedule and cameras don't start rolling until August, it would be well into 2028 before the film is released.
Russo was also asked about Doomsday's final runtime: "It's too early for us to say what the running time is, but it's substantial."
For now, we can only trust that Marvel and the Russos have a handle on things. The possibility of a delay has likely been factored into the shooting schedule, so we'll see how production progresses over the next few months.
Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars were hit with significant delays last year, with Doomsday now set to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2026, and Secret Wars positioned for December 17, 2027.
Both movies will be directed by the Russo brothers, who also make their MCU return after helming Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
"Universes collide and the Multiverse Saga begins its final chapter in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday. Beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on a deadly collision course and ultimately face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered. This epic film will lay the foundation for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe."
Doomsday will star:
Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Lewis Pullman as Sentry, Florence Pugh as Yelena, Danny Ramirez as Falcon, Ian McKellen as Magneto, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Kelsey Grammer as Beast, James Marsden as Cyclops, Channing Tatum as Gambit, and Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent
Along with Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, Letitia Wright as Black Panther, Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, and, of course, Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.